Before It's Too Late
by smolragebaby
Summary: Titus struggles trying to confess his feelings to Sphintus. With caring for Marga and having to complete a mission for his mistress, the young blonde decides he needs to get this out before he has no chances left to do so. Sphintus x Titus (Sphintitus) -After getting a house with Marga, before the war with Reim- -Slightest of the slight Canon Divergence-


**This follows one of two theories i have. The one that Sphintus and Titus don't begin a romantic relationship until a few days (less than a week) before the war with Reim).**

* * *

It finally happened. He was able to bring Marga up from the fifth district. She looked ecstatic about getting to see sunlight for the first time and shared the same enthusiasm over cats that he did. They were even able to get a small house to live in. Everything seemed to looking up.

Yet still Titus stayed away late that night, after his friends had left and Marga had been asleep for some time now. He tried to clear his head, but found it was difficult and lying in bed just made it worse. Quietly, he shifted to get out of bed, bare feet touching the cold stone floor. The blonde lifted himself up off the bed and out to the kitchen table.

His heart was still beating at a slightly faster than normal pace and he somewhat knew the cause of it. Ever since their misadventure in the Fifth District, Titus had become aware that when he was around a certain Heliohapt healer that his heart would race and blood would rush to his cheeks. But, it felt complete one-sided. The other didn't seem to react the same way unless he was embarrassed by something said by either him or Aladdin.

Titus had tried to read various articles, thinking he could have been sick since he never recalled Lady Scheherazade or the other tutors mentioning this sort of reaction. Some of the scrolls said it could be a small cold while others said that if it was tied to thoughts of someone that it was infatuation, but he shook off the idea. He knew what it was, but not how one experienced, least of all feeling such a thing for Sphintus. However, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense to him and eventually he had accepted that which presented a whole new set of problems.

One of which, the other not liking him the same way. Titus was fairly certain that the other just tolerated him. After all, he had been fairly rude to him before his change of heart and even after, he probably just came to check on Marga or Aladdin dragged him down. They had talked a few times, but Titus usually spoke what he thought first before stopping to consider the implications.

Even so, by some magic, they did feel the same and that led to anything, it would only hurt him. His mistress even said that he didn't have a lot of time left. He would have to leave for Reim and he wasn't confident that Sphintus would go with him. He had heard enough about how the healer's family were counting on him so that he could return to them. It wouldn't last. Probably just a small fling for the other.

Then there was unspoken problem being was this even okay? He wasn't even human. He hadn't told anyone, but that little fact alone would change all of their views on him. They would leave, wouldn't talk to him anymore. He might as well be a monster in one of the books he read to Marga. The notion alone scared him. He could always keep it a secret here, but even then, if it ever came out…

He shook his head.

He just had to stop thinking about it. If he just stopped thinking about it then maybe it would go away. Heading to get water, he splashed a bit on his face before drying it off and heading back to bed.

The next day, Marga acted as his alarm. She shook his shoulder excitedly, "Titus. Titus! Wake up." His giggle gave him away when he tried to turn over like he was still sleeping. She pouted slightly and shook him again before climbing off the bed, heading towards the front door. When she left, Titus sat up slightly, wondering why she had gone off so quickly only to hear Aladdin and Sphintus in the small living room area of the home. He quickly got up in a rush, not realizing that the duo would come over so early. Scrambling to change his clothes, he managed to get on his usual attire on and get out there before Marga could get them to wake him up.

"You both are early." He stated as he came out of the bedroom and sitting in one of the chairs.

"Sphintus kept saying how he wanted to make sure Marga would be alright. But it's better because now we can spend the whole day together." Aladdin replied, quickly turning to Marga and chasing after her pretending to be a monster. Titus sighed but laughed at the two playing together. Sphintus pulled up a chair next to him.

"She hasn't been coughing lately?" He asked.

"Not that I've heard, but if something happens I can take her to the healers. Don't need you accidently making it worse." There it was again. Speaking before thinking.

"Hey! I healed you when you got your fat ass beat up in the fifth district."

"I still feel some pain there, looks like you did an average job." Titus replied. The other looked at him, slightly concerned.

"Do you want me to check?" He looked genuinely worried that he could have messed up.

"Sphintus, no, sorry, I was joking. I shouldn't have said it." He looked down, feeling bad about making the other feel anxious over his magic. Before Sphintus was able to say anything, Marga came over to them.

"Titus! Aladdin is coming after me!" She slightly cried through her delightful smile. The blonde stood and scooped her up.

"Well now I have you!" He tickled her sides and she giggled happily, trying push his hand away.

The four elected to stay at home that day, playing in the front yard while Sphintus went inside to prepare for an early dinner. Titus had kept himself from thinking about the other, at least until the smell of food caught his attention. He got up from the outside bench and peaked inside the window to see the other hard at work making dinner. The blush started to come back to his face and he quickly looked away, sitting back down.

'This isn't going to end just by avoiding it. Maybe you should just tell him. What's the worst that could happen? A lot. There is a list of horrible outcomes. No, you're just going to worry about it, just get it over with.' While his mind raced at 100 km/hr, Marga was waving her hands in front of him.

"Titus? Hello?" He snapped out of it and looked down at her, smiling.

"Ye-yes?"

"Sphintus said to come inside, the food is almost done." He nodded at her statement, picking her up and taking her inside. The aroma of food became stronger indoors, filling his head with at least 20 unique and mouth water scents, likely the result of the various spices in whatever was made. Setting Marga down, he headed over to the counters. Sphintus glanced at him, but returned to his work.

Getting a spoon from the drawer, he reached over and retrieved some of the tempting food, eating it before Sphintus had time to stop him.

"This isn't half bad."

"Is that all you are going to say about it?" He stopped what he was doing to look at the blonde, who was slightly blushing and smiling about the food. Sphintus quickly turned away, a slight not easily visible blush spreading across his cheeks. Titus noticed when the other stopped what he was about to say, thinking he had said the wrong thing again.

"It's actually really good." He tried to make up for the other comment, but didn't get much of a reaction. He mentally hit himself, returning to Marga's side and having her help with setting up the table. Marga and Aladdin did most of the talking to prevent it from getting awkwardly silent. Titus started to notice the occasional looks Sphintus would give him while they were moving the food to the table and serving it. He couldn't pinpoint the expression, but it provided an excuse to talk the other after they finished dinner.

The food was delicious, Sphintus really was a good cook even compared to those who cooked for him in Reim. He would eat it every day if he could.

Marga talked about the book Titus had been reading her at night along with the words she was learning from it. Her eyes lit up as she talked about it and the others all felt invested in what she had to say in between her eating. Once she was done talking, Aladdin chimed in about the different things he was learning in a few of the classes. The looks from Sphintus still grabbed his attention more than Aladdin's words, he ate carefully, attempting to avoid looking up at the other.

With dinner wrapping up, Titus became more nervous about talking to Sphintus. He didn't know if the other was upset with him over the various comments he had given throughout the day.

"Titus, can I talk to you?" The blonde's shoulder tensed. That really was it, he wouldn't have said anything if wasn't upset. Hesitantly, he put down the dishes he was holding onto the counter and turned, putting on a mask of bravado.

"Yeah." The healer motioned for him to follow, and Titus did, into the privacy of the one small bedroom.

He was still relatively tense, trying to breathe.

"Look, if you're upset about what I've been saying. I'm sorry, I just start saying things without even really stopping to think about it and I really didn't mean to upset you or hurt your feelings."

"Titus." The blonde quickly closed his mouth.

"I just wanted to ask if you were doing okay?" A little smiled formed on Sphintus' face but the look of worry remained in his eyes.

"If this is about you're healing, I swear I'm fine."

"No. You just seem, I don't know, off. Aladdin didn't want to say anything, but he's noticed it too. Ever since you brought Marga up, you've just been out of it more and you seem to be uncomfortable around me or something." Titus stared at him for a moment. Was he really acting that different around them, to the point where Sphintus was the one thinking that he was the uncomfortable one.

"N-no. Not at all, I have just been having to worry about a lot lately. It's nothing you should worry about."

"Would you rather talk about it?"

"I don't think you would understand." Sphintus raised his eyebrow at the comment.

"Try me." Titus sighed, realizing the other wasn't going let him get out of this. He went and sat on the bed.

"It's just... worrying about Marga's health along with my own priorities with my… family has been hard to keep up with recently." He needed to say, he had an opportunity to do it.

"I can see if I can help with Marga if that will help ease your stress. As for your family, I don't really know how to help that." He leaned against the wall across from the blonde.

'Say it. You need to get it out or you'll burst. Do it.'

"There… is actually something else I wanted to tell you…" His voice was slightly shaking, but he was able to get it out loud enough to grab the other's attention. He took a breath in.

"Lately… It's just that I have… my heart… races. My cheeks with get pink… and sometimes I just find myself… getting flustered… all of it happens when I think of… you." He looked down, unable to bring himself to look at the other. All he heard were footsteps and waited for the other to leave and slam the door. But that didn't come.

Instead Sphintus came closer to him and knelt down to get the other boy to look at him.

"You're saying you have a crush on me." Titus didn't have to look to guess there was probably a huge smirk carved on his face.

"No, I'm saying I hate you, yes I-" He looked up to address the boy, pausing at seeing a softness in the stunning green eyes that Titus never truly looked at until now along with a gentle, loving smile. When he really thought about, there was a lot Titus had failed to notice about the other. Like how his skin looked so warm or how his hair had soft highlights even though it was already white or even how beautiful those eyes were against all of the other features he was given. It almost felt like he was beginning to fall for the healer all over again.

"At least I don't have to worry about you not liking me." That statement shook Titus out of his observations.

"Wha?"

"I was worried you wouldn't like me. You just seemed a bit out of my league. I mean look at you. You're beautiful. It was a little awkward liking another guy, but one of the few people I have gotten comfortable to be around." His head was spinning. Sphintus -Mr. IAmAmazing- Carmen, believed not only that he was beautiful but that he was out of the Heliohapt's league. If smoke could come out of his ears, it would for how much his brain was attempting to process this. He barely noticed when the other was snapping his fingers in his face.

"Hello? Earth to Titus. You in there?" When the blonde snapped out it, Sphintus chuckled.

"You really have been off lately, though I guess that's my fault." He got up and offered Titus a hand. He took it and got off the bed. Sphintus leaned over, planting a small kiss on his cheek.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah… a lot better."

"Good now let's get back before Marga and Aladdin start chasing each other over the house again."

He opened the door and they returned to the living room.

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 **There will be a sequel**


End file.
